Shoulder rest for musical instruments



G. N. HUMPHREY Filed June 28, 1947 Sept. 27, 1949.

SHOULDER REST FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS l atented Sept. 2' 7, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOULDER BEST FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS George N. Humphrey, Arlington, Mass.

Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,844

Claims. (Cl. 84-280) This invention relates to an improved shoulder rest for musical instruments such as violins and violas. Instruments of this kind are customarily played while being supported in part by the shoulder of the player. In order to make it possible to hold the instrument in place more comfortably and with less effort, shoulder rests of various kinds have been employed. Owing to the lack of uniformity in the shapes of human shoulders and necks, a shoulder rest which is satisfactory for one man may not be for another. According to the present invention, a shoulder rest is provided which is adjustable so that it not only can be made to fit violins or violas of any size but can also be fitted on an instrument in different positions according to the physical build of the musician and the preferred manner in which the instrument is held when being played upon.

For example, a musician with relatively broad shoulders will usually prefer to attach the rest to the instrument further from the butt end than will a musician with narrower shoulders. Such a change of position of the rest on the instrument means different angular relations between the longitudinal axis of the rest and the portions of the margins of the instrument on which the extremities of the rest engage. Furthermore, a shift of a rest to a different position on the instrument usually requires a change in the overall length of the rest. Shoulder rests embodying the invention are adjustable to meet all such requirements.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a shoulder rest embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a partial plan View of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the same;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the bottom of an instrument having a shoulder rest attached thereto.

The musical instrument illustrated in Figure 7 is shown in an inverted position, the shoulder rest thereon also being inverted. This figure illustrates a violin or viola In to which is attached a shoulder rest comprising a base member l2 which is adapted to rest on the shoulder of the musician and two arms I 4 and I6 which are adjustably attached to the base 12 and project beyond the ends thereof so as to form a bridge-like structure spanning a portion of the body of the instrument and resting on edge portions of the bottom thereof. A hook I8 is provided at the extremity of each of the extensions 14 and I6 to catch on the edge bead 20 of the bottom of the instrument, the shoulder rest being held in place by a rubber band 22 which is looped over a corner 24 of the instrument. In using a shoulder rest for a violin or viola, the preferred location of the rest on the bottom of the instrument may vary considerably according to the requirements of the musician. Instruments of this kind are held in different Ways by different musicians, physical dimensions of neck and shoulders varying considerably, and the size of the instruments themselves also varies. Hence, in order to adapt the shoulder rest to the requirements of different musicians and different instruments of the violin type, the rest is made adjustable both as to length and as to the angular relation between the arms or projections M and I6. This angular adjustment is necessary by reason of the fact that the curvature of the bottom edge of the instrument varies. Hence, if a rest which is adjusted to fit properly on an instrument in one position is shifted to another position, the rest will generally not fit properly in the second position until it has been adjusted. The ends of the arms it and I6 engage edge portions of the instrument of substantial length and should be adjusted to fit thereon.

As shown in Figure 1, a shoulder rest embodying the invention may comprise an elongated base member l2, the bottom surface of which is suitably curved to fit on the shoulder of the player or musician, this surface being preferably covered with a, layer 26 of non-slip material such as rubber or equivalent material havin a high co-emcient of friction. The base l2 may include two superposed members 28 and 30 joined together in any suitable manner. For example, dowels 3| may be used with a frictional fit in holes in the members, and with or without an adhesive band. The lower member 28 may be made in difierent thicknesses so that the proper thickness can be selected for the desired elevation of the instrument above the shoulder. The upper member 30 is provided with suitable slots or holes 3| to receive a rubber band 22 in one or the other and is longitudinally channeled as indicated at 32 in Figure 3, the channel having a wider undercut portion 34 to receive a plate 36 which is secured by a screw 31 or the like to a, slide 38. This slide bears on an end portion of the base l2 and has a longitudinal rib 39 fitted in the groove 32. A screw 40 extends down through the slide 38 and is in threaded engagement with the plate 36. By turning the screw 40 so as to draw the plate up against the overhanging portions of the channel, the slide may be secured in any adjusted position. An arm 42 is pivotally mounted as at 44 for angular adjustment on the slide 38 about a vertical axis and projects beyond the end thereof, this arm curving upward and terminating in an arcuate edge 45 to engage a marginal portion of the bottom of the instrument H], the edge 45 being preferably covered with a layer of soft material to prevent damage to the varnish. In order to hold the arm 42 in any position of angular adjustment, a screw 46 extends down through an arcuate slot 48 in the arm into the slide 38 so that when the screw 46 is set up tight, it clamps the arm 42 in any position of angular adjustment about the pivot 44.

At the other end of the base I 2 is a similar slide 50 which can be adjustably clamped by means of a screw 52 in the same manner as the slide 38. The slide 50 has an upwardly curved arm 54 pivoted thereto as at 55 and secured in any position of angular adjustment by a set screw 58. The slide D and arm 54 with their fittings may be structurally symmetrical with relation to the slide 38 and arm 42, and the mode of adjustment is similar. Thus by backing oh the screws 40 and 52, the slides 38 and 50 may be moved inward or outward, as suggested by the dotted lines in Figure 2, to change the overall length of the shoulder rest. By backing off the locking screws 46 and 58, the arms 42 and 54 can be swung about their pivots to any desired position of angular adjustment relative to the base I2, a second position of angular adjustment of the arm 42 being shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4, 5, and 6. As therein shown, an elongated base '69 is provided with two arms GI and 62 which project beyond the opposite ends thereof. The base 55 may be made of two superposed members 63 and 54 which are detachably joined together or may be permanently fastened. The upper member 64 is made with an arcuate channel 65 which has an undercut wider portion 66 at its bottom to receive a plate 68 which is arcuate in order to fit into the channel 66. The arms '6! and 52 are each provided with a rib which slides in the channel 65. A screw 12 extends down through each arm and its rib 1D for threaded engagement with its plate 68. The screw 12 can be turned to clamp or to release the arm. When the arm is released, it can be pushed along the arcuate channel 64 so as to increase the overall length of the shoulder rest and also to change the angular relation between the arm and the base 60. The curvature of the arcuate channel '55 is such that the angular relation between the two arms is for most adjustments the correct amount required in connection with a change in length of the shoulder rest.

Various further modifications and changes can be made in the embodiments of the invention hereinbefore shown and described without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shoulder rest for a musical instrument of the violin type, comprising an elongated base with a non-slip bottom surface to rest on the shoulder, an arm extending upward and outward from each end of said base to engage the bottom of an instrument along portions of its bottom edge, and means for adjustably securing each of said arms to said base.

2. A shoulder rest for a musical instrument of the violin type, comprising an elongated base with a non-slip bottom surface to rest on the shoulder, an arm extending upward and outward from each end of said base to engage the bottom of an instrument along portions of its bottom edge, each said arm being adjustably movable lengthwise of said base to increase or diminish the overall length of the rest and angularly adjustable about a vertical aXis with reference to said base, and

' means for securing said arms in adjusted positions.

3. A shoulder rest for a musical instrument of the violin type, comprising an elongated base with a non-slip bottom surface to rest on the shoulder, upwardly sloping arm extending beyond each end of said base and adjustable longitudinally and angularly with respect thereto, said means including an arcuate rib and groove connection between said arms and base, and means for se-' curing said arms in adjusted positions on said base.

4. A shoulder rest for a musical instrument of the violin type, comprising an elongated base with a non-slip bottom surface to rest on the shoulder, an upwardly sloping arm extending beyond each end of said base and adjustable longitudinally and angularly with respect thereto, said means including a longitudinally adjustable slide at each end of said base and a pivotal connection between each said slide and a corresponding arm.

5. A shoulder rest for a musical instrument of the violin type, comprising an elongated base to rest on the shoulder, an arm extending upward and outward from each end of said base to engage the bottom of the instrument along the portions of its bottom edge, each said arm being longitudinally and angularly adjustable with respect to said base, and releasable means for securing said arms in adjusted positions.

GEORGE N. HUMPHREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,296,414 McLay Mar. 4, 1919 2,064,925 Kol'itsch Dec. 22, 1936 

